As I write this edition of Points of Pride we have had one full week without SNOW…but another storm is on the horizon! Will we ever round the far turn of winter and enter the home stretch towards spring?
Despite the dreary piles of snow that still line our streets, signs of spring are everywhere in the district. Some of us mark the approaching transition by the lengthening of the days and the hopeful and predictable emergence of the tips of tulips and daffodils through the frozen soil. At the high school we look for signs announcing meetings for students interested in playing baseball or softball and listen for PA announcements about other spring-related activities like the Senior Trip or the Prom!
As we approach the last quarter of the school year, I hope you enjoy reading about the wonderful people, activities, and events that make the Audubon School District and community so special!
-Suzanne McKenna
WHAT’S BUZZING AT HAVILAND?
Kindergarten kicked off its Student/Parent Book Club on Thursday evening, December 3, by reading Bad Dog, Marley. This is the first of four opportunities for children and their parents to read and discuss books under the direction of their teachers and using the strategies children are learning in guided reading.
First grade teacher, Mrs. JoAnne McCarty, received money from the Audubon Alumni Association to fund her Gingerbread Exchange. Each child in Mrs. McCarty’s class received a Gingerbread Person template to dress and decorate. They wrote letters about their Gingerbread People and mailed them to other schools across the country that were in the program. As they received letters and Gingerbread People in return, Mrs. McCarty used a giant map of the U.S.A. to show and discuss the geographic origins of the letters. What a great cross-curricular project!
Art Teacher, Ms. Vivian Gayol, received a grant from the Audubon Education Foundation to bring art to Haviland in a special way. For the month of March, students will be treated to one large and two smaller silk screens of Mary Cassat’s work. Then, in May artist Diego Rivera’s work will be displayed. This is a rare opportunity for our students to see real art, in a large format, up close, instead of in a book.
Each year we use the month of February to celebrate One School/One Book. This year, the entire school is reading, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo. Everyday, in every classroom, teachers read aloud from the same chapter. During morning announcements each day, a different class sends students to give their predictions, ask questions, and make connections to the chapter read the previous day. This whole-school experience encourages cross-grade and cross-class discussions and supports our reading comprehension strategies as well.
MANSION AVENUE MOUTAIN LIONS ARE ABOUT TO SPRING!
The 6th Grade Parent Book Club met every Thursday night during the month of January from 6:45 to 8:00 PM in the All-Purpose room of Mansion Avenue School to discuss the book The Misfits. The Misfits, written by James Howe, tells the story of a group of students who, although they are different, work to combat the problem of “name calling.” Members of the Book Club included sixth grade students and their parents who read the book and participated in lessons that were presented by the sixth grade teachers. The parents experienced language arts instruction first hand as there was a theme for each meeting and teachers used an instructional strategy that is also used in the children’s classroom. This project, now in its fifth year, is a huge success. In addition to discussing their ideas about the book and the effect “name calling” has on individuals, students and parents learn about the New Jersey laws and policies regarding bullying. The Sixth Grade teachers involved in the program include Ms. Christine Batra, Ms. Maddy Boulden, Mrs. Melissa Falkowski, Mrs. Kate Lin, Mrs. Lisa McGilloway, Mrs. Sharon Mickle, Mrs. Susan Moore, Mrs. Jill Mulford, and Mr. Rich Wilson, along with Counselor Ms. Cara Novick. Thanks go to the members of the Audubon Education Association for their assistance with funding for this activity.
Help for Haiti Sixth grader Maggie Bowen approached her teacher, Mr. Paul Rogers, with a plan to help the children and people of Haiti through the difficult times after the earthquake. Maggie assembled a team of students to start a change drive. Students have been encouraged to bring in spare change, and each day the team collects the change from each classroom and turns it in to Mr. Rogers. With the help of Counselor Ms. Cara Novick, the group made a presentation to the entire student body on January 29 and asked them to continue to help by bringing in their change. One of the character traits we focus on at MAS is helping our community, or in this case, our world community. Maggie and her group have raised over $1,000 and they continue their efforts because they know every cent counts.
Transition Meetings In a continuing effort to address student and parent concerns about the transition from school to school, in February the Third and Sixth Grade Teachers at MAS are hosting transition meetings with the Second Grade teachers from Haviland Avenue School and the Seventh grade teachers from Audubon High School. These meetings support the district’s Strategic Plan by giving teachers the opportunity to work together to make the students’ transitions from one school to the other as smooth as possible.Last year, the district sponsored a “Moving Up Day,” so students could actually experience the next grade level in their new school. This year our discussions will focus on instructional practices, student and teacher expectations, and the nature of student assessments. The Sixth and Seventh Grade teachers have spent time observing each other’s classrooms and will be discussing what they saw, what they learned, and how they can work together to share some of same teaching techniques.
Cognetics Once again this year we will be offering the Cognetics program to our Fifth and Sixth Grade APPLE students. Cognetics comes from the Latin word for knowledge. The Cognetics program is designed to help students improve general thinking skills and develop creative problem solving techniques. Participants in the program will be challenged to solve specific problems, then present their solutions at a forum sponsored by Rowan University in May. Mrs. Judy Gabardi has received the information for this year’s program. She, along with co-advisors: Ms. Alycia Gibboni, Ms. Maddy Boulden, and Mrs. Kate Hayden, have been meeting to develop a plan for this year’s Cognetics teams. These advisors will be working with the students to help organize their ideas and develop a presentation. Students who wish to participate will be expected to make a commitment to the program which will include attending after school meetings at least once a week. There will be guidelines that students will be asked to follow if they make a commitment to the program. Students wishing to be considered for the program will be asked to write a persuasive essay explaining why they would be a good choice for this project.
Zoo Tycoon MAS is pleased to offer a new enrichment program, Zoo Tycoon, for students in Grades Three and Four. The Zoo Tycoon program is being piloted for the first year during the school day. Students will be grouped into small teams that will meet once a week in the computer lab for forty-two minutes for a minimum of nine weeks. Mrs. Kathy Giambri will be facilitating this program utilizing the software program Zoo Tycoon 2. Students will be planning and creating a zoo with four different biomes based upon information they have researched through the Internet and Zoo Tycoon 2. They will learn what a biome is, what factors determine biomes, and what organisms exist within them. Through the program students will experience interactive lessons integrating 21st Century readiness skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills. Once the project has been completed, each team will be responsible for making a presentation to the entire group, including parents who will be invited to attend.
Open Gym Mr. Ralph Schiavo will be running an Open Gym activity for or students in Grades 5 and 6. Students who are participating in the program will be involved in team games requiring them to work together to accomplish their team goals.
Other happenings around MAS Eighteen Sixth Graders are members of the Health Careers Club at MAS. Members of the club, along with advisor School Nurse Mrs. Pat Snyder, have discussed the different areas of nursing and have designed posters about health-related careers. Members of the club have also written paragraphs stating the health career in which they are interested and reasons for their interest. In December students learned about medical instruments. They are currently looking forward to a visit from a medical doctor as well as someone from a veterinarian’s office.
MAS Instrumental Music Teacher Mrs. Susan Moore reports that eighteen Mansion Avenue School students represented Audubon in the Seventh Annual Winter Festival Honors Band. This is a festival that meets at Kershaw School, and includes Mt. Ephraim, Haddon Heights, Gloucester City, Oaklyn and Audubon. The Band is conducted and coordinated by each district's band director. The concert was on January 16, 2010, and it involved two rehearsals and one dress rehearsal. The following students participated:
- Flute: Alexis Awokoya, Amanda Cogill, Alexis Hare, and Serena Manzi
- Clarinet: Kaitlyn Amato, Olivia Apicella, Kaci Draves, Jessica Pineiro, and Rebecca VanArnam
- Alto Sax: Jason Hyland
- Trumpet: Kevin Carbone
- French Horn: Karenann Libby
- Trombone: Kyle Fish and Emily Kulpa
- Baritone: Karl Morgan
- Percussion: Colin Hastings, Sean LaFleur, and Evan Neide
AUDUBON HIGH SCHOOL WAVES GOOD-BYE TO WINTER!
The following seniors who have been selected as Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars for 2009-10:
- Kyle Brown
- Amber Conway
- John Flacco
- Anne Murray
- Olivia Mustaro
- Dean Szymanski
- Melissa Villa
As a result of their selection these students are eligible to receive yearly scholarship awards of $1000 should they choose to attend a college or university in New Jersey. The Bloustein Scholarship is awarded to students who rank in the top ten percent of their class and obtain a minimum 1260 combined SAT score at the end of the junior year, or are ranked first, second, or third in their class as of the end of the junior year.
Senior Brandon Hill, who has signed with the University of Massachusetts to pursue his academic career and play football for the Minutemen. We wish Brandon all of the best and congratulate him on his achievement.
Senior Kevin Arechavala who became an Eagle Scout in November. Kevin’s service project involved the picnic area at the Shining Star Park in Mt. Ephraim. In addition to building two picnic tables and a trash receptacle and repainting the gazebo, Kevin also cleaned the playground equipment and planted weeping cherry trees to beautify the picnic area. (FYI—only three percent of Boy Scouts ever earn the rank of Eagle.) Way to go, Kevin!
Eighth Graders Matthew Brandon and Kyle Hauske, who have been selected to receive a county-wide Outstanding Achievement in Science Award. This award, sponsored by the Camden County Technical Schools, Stockton College, and Virtua Healthcare, recognizes eighth graders in the county for their dedication, determination and academic achievement in the sciences. Matthew and Kyle were recommended for the award by their Science teachers, Mr. Chris Sylvester and Mrs. Theresa Weichmann. An awards ceremony was held on January 28 at CCTS.
Additionally…
You’ve heard of the Orange Bowl, the Rose Bowl and even the Chick-fil-a Bowl. How about the Consumer Bowl? The Consumer Bowl is an educational competition for high school students using a game show format to test the students’ knowledge of important consumer-related information and laws. Students go head-to-head answering questions on topics related to a variety of consumer issues such as identity theft, Internet fraud, and the state’s Lemon Law. Students in Mrs. Debbie Waite’s Skills for Living classes competed recently in the Camden County Consumer Bowl, which was held on February 22 at the Boathouse in Pennsauken. Although AHS students Hali Pearce (Captain), Amanda Hauske, Brianna Ingram, Caitlin Kirkpatrick, and Gina Michael faced tough competition from teams from Haddon Township, Triton, and Winslow High Schools, AHS won the competition and will now move on to the regionals in March. Along with Sarah Cox, who is an alternate, the girls look forward to winning the next round and moving on to the state competition.
Students in all of Mr. Gregg Francis’ History classes are participating in many different activities to expand their knowledge of the history they need to know in order to understand the links between the past and the present. Whether it’s debating the merits of the war for American independence, studying the Amendments to the Constitution, analyzing the causes of the Great Depression, or reading and discussing novels like John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, that relate to the time periods being studied, Mr. Francis’ students are acquiring the background information they need to become informed decision makers and responsible citizens in a democratic society. By analyzing events in the past and examining their impact on the present, students will certainly be better prepared to face the challenges of the future.
Mr. Mike Tanier, Audubon High School’s resident published satirical sports writer, and English Teacher Ms. Kimberly Rotter collaborated on lessons that taught the students the elements of effective satire. Mike visited Kimberly’s class and together they modeled a satirical dialogue for the students and then helped them brainstorm their own topics for a satirical essay. As I’ve said before about Mike, underneath that clinical math exterior beats the heart of an English teacher!
Members of STARS (Students and Teachers Against Racism and Stereotyping) attended the 7th Annual Ira Silverman Teen Leadership Conference on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 in the Bart Luedeke Student Center on the campus of Rider University campus. This year an actress presented “Through the Eyes of a Friend,” a story about a young woman named Sarah, a fictional “best friend” of Anne Frank, who recounts the Holocaust from her viewpoint. Following “Through the Eyes of a Friend,” the conference participants were divided into discussion groups. Using the performance as a starting point, each group explored the central themes and related those themes to their lives – both in school and in their communities. They also designed an action plan for addressing an issue that the group, by consensus, considers to be of prime concern to them and their school.
The Audubon/Collingswood Swim Team posted a record-breaking season (9-0) and ended up ranked 19th in South Jersey! The Team clinched the South Jersey Swim League Atlantic Division title, which is the first division/conference win for the team since 1942. Assistant Coach Chris Sylvester reports that the swimmers have done a great job, making this a “magical season” nobody on the team wants to end. Senior members of the team for AHS include Ashley Brzozowski, Chase Craig, Tom Lynch, Tina Morgan, Caitlin Porter, and managers Corey Amato and Katie Hoover. Along with Mr. Sylvester, the team is coached by Ms. Kimberly Rotter.
Our graduates continue to shine!
Eric Grimenstein, AHS Class of 2000, recently returned to his Alma Mater after a three year stay in New Zealand, where he had been working for Weta Digital, Ltd. whose credits include the hit movie Avatar. At the invitation of Art Teacher, Mrs. AnneMarie Harris, Eric came in to speak with AHS art students about his experiences as an Effects Technical Director and Effects Animator. After graduating from AHS in 2000, Eric attended and graduated from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, with a major in Computer Animation. Because of his outstanding talent, Eric moved quickly from a summer internship in promotions at FOX Philadelphia to a position with DisneyToon Studios in Burbank, California, where he was an Effects Animator and CGI-Artist responsible for the design and movement of effects for various movies. From this position Eric moved to Blue Sky Studios in White Plains, New York, where he was responsible for the implementation of effects for Ice Age the Meltdown and also assisted as a Fur Technical Director on Horton Hears a Who. Most recently Eric has worked at Weta Digital, Ltd. for producer James Cameron (Titanic) on several movies, including The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Waterhorse, and of course, Avatar where Eric’s specialty was water and waterfalls. Eric brought a digital portfolio of his work, which included pixie dust for Disney, ice cracking for Ice Age the Meltdown, and a waterfall for Avatar. Should Avatar win an Oscar for special effects, Eric will have been a member of the “team” that is referenced in any acceptance speeches! We thank Eric for sharing his time with us before he heads out once again to California to work for Blizzard, a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software including the most popular video games. We look forward to seeing his name rolling on the credits for many movies in the future.
District Staff in the Spotlight
Science Teacher Mrs. Nancy Wolgamot is the recipient of a grant funded by the Department of Labor and administered by the Delaware Valley Innovation Network, which is dedicated to improving the skills of life science teachers in the tri-state area. Nancy can use the Science Education Materials Grant, a $1000 Product Credit Certificate from Ward’s Natural Science Supplier, to purchase science supplies and lab equipment that will “enrich, excite, and enhance the science program for students in [our] school.” Nancy was selected because of her demonstrated commitment to the teaching of science. Well done, Nancy!
William T. FitzGerald. Assistant Professor of English at Rutgers University Camden has nominated AHS English Teacher Ms. Kimberly Rotter’s paper, “The Audubon Writing Manifesto,” for the Rutgers graduate students’ annual paper contest. This paper explored ways that high school English teachers can better prepare students for the rigors of a college education through revamping the high school writing curriculum.
Audubon Education Foundation Awards First Series of Grants for the 2009-10 School Year.
In a world of cut backs and downsizing, the Audubon Education Foundation infuses a little fresh air into the system with a series of grants to select educators seeking to initiate unique and exciting programs in the Audubon School district. In this round, over $6,500 in grants were awarded to five educators representing a variety of grade levels and subjects.
Mrs. Rebecca Leise, a Special Education teacher and Mrs. Suzanne McKenna, Assistant Principal, have designed a plan to have the popular and well acclaimed non-profit organization Challenge Day come to Audubon High School and present a two-day long workshop for 10th and 11th grade students. The students will be involved in activities that are designed to create positive change and inspire them to live, study, and work in an environment of compassion, acceptance, and respect.
Mrs.Lisa McGilloway, a Sixth Grade teacher at Mansion Avenue School, will be leading a 6th grade parent/student book club. The book club selection, The Misfits, serves as a light-hearted look at the topic of bullying, while raising awareness of this issue among students and parents alike. The book club promotes literacy as well as providing a perfect forum for parent/child discussion of such a timely topic.
Mrs. Vivian Gayol, Art Teacher at Haviland Avenue School, is bringing a Cross Curricular Art Exhibit to students in grades K-2. This program promotes everyday learning through art. Topics for activities include art history, multicultural issues, social issues, and critical thinking.
Mr. Duane Trowbridge, Choral Music/Theatre Director at Audubon High School, has designed a plan to change the current sound amplification system in the high school’s auditorium. The plan will improve equipment for the students and provide a better listening experience for the audience.
Created in 2008, the Audubon Education Foundation seeks to encourage academic excellence in the Audubon School District by providing funding not available through traditional local, state, or federal sources. For more information or to become involved in the organization, please visit audubonedfoundation.org or call 856-547-7695 ext. 4223.
That’s all for now, folks! My next deadline is April 30, 2010. You can email me at my school address: smckenna@audubonschools.org. Let’s keep the good news coming!